Journalist and broadcaster Antoinette Lattouf’s win over the ABC in the Federal Court is a significant victory for freedom of expression.

And it reminds us of all those in this nation who have had their employment or contractual arrangements terminated because of unseemly pressure from the Israel lobby, its media allies like the Australian, and politicians. By Israel lobby, I mean those groups and individuals who consistently support the current anti-Palestinian policies of Israeli Governments and who pressure civil society to curtail or even prevent criticism of Israel.

The ABC sacked Lattouf in December 2023 when she was a stand-in host of a program, after she used social media to criticise Israel’s actions in Gaza. But on Wednesday [25 June], Justice Daryl Rangiah found the ABC sacked Ms. Lattouf “for reasons including that she held political opinions opposing the Israeli military campaign in Gaza”. The ABC did so in the wake an orchestrated campaign by those supporting Israel’s policies.

Lattouf is not the only person who is the victim of these thuggish campaigns that have the desired effect of pressuring weak employers and organisations to terminate anyone who is seen to be supporting the Palestinian cause.

Look at the case earlier this year where Creative Australia terminated the commission of Lebanese-Australian artist Khaled Sabsabi, Australia’s representative at the 2026 Venice Biennale.

And the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s shameful termination of its contract with pianist Jayson Gilham in August last year because he stated facts about the number of journalists killed by Israel in Gaza.

And what of the actions of universities in suspending and expelling students for pro-Palestinian activities on campus? (I am acting for a Melbourne University student at the moment).

On universities, Dr Max Kaiser, the executive officer of the Jewish Council of Australia, has noted that “universities are surveilling, disciplining, and censoring students and staff who speak up for Palestine. Events cancelled, lectures monitored, students tracked via Wi-Fi—all justified by vague appeals to ‘wellbeing’ and false claims of antisemitism".

Lawyers, doctors, and other professionals have also found themselves in hot water with their bosses or professional regulators for their advocacy of Palestinians who are the victims of Israel genocide in Gaza.

And the Israel lobby’s well-oiled lobbying machine has been at it a long time. Back in 2014, the former Labor foreign minister Bob Carr revealed the extent of Israel’s lobbying power in the halls of Canberra. “The fact is, the influence the pro-Israel lobby was attempting to exert on the government, and did, until I stood up to them, was not in the interests of Israel, not in the interests of the Middle East peace and was being inappropriately and bullyingly exercised in the government. It needed to be resisted and I’m proud to have done that,” wrote Carr.

To return to the Lattouf case, the ABC’s unlawful conduct was yet another in the long line of examples of the mainstream media in this country censoring anti-Israel views. John Lyons, probably the only ABC journalist who critiques Israeli policy, says that he has been called an antisemite and a propagandist for Hamas by right-wing pro-Israel media. Editors, he says, are cowered by the Israel lobby. “Anyone who thinks this… doesn’t have a chilling effect is kidding themselves. I have seen its effect in the years of hesitancy on the part of editors and trepidation about any story which may show Israel in a negative light,” Lyons said in 2021 when his excellent short book on the Israel lobby and its impact on Australian media was published.

One of the reasons the Israel lobbying machine gets away with it is because we have weak human rights protections in Australia. We do not have a right to freedom of speech and expression legislatively or constitutionally entrenched as is the case in countries such as Canada, South Africa and the states making up the EU.

While it’s not an antidote in all cases, it might mean employers and institutions like the ABC and universities are less supine in the face of the threats from the Israel lobby.

It also says much about our society that organisations like universities, the ABC and arts organisations are so hypocritical about their supposed commitment to freedom of expression. It’s okay for them to be a platform to hammer Iranians, Russians and the Chinese, but Israel is off limits it seems.

Antoinette Lattouf took on the ABC and won. While it’s an employment law case, the symbolism of her win is important.

The views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.